Akane's Before/After Pictures :)

Well, I have FINALLY built up the courage to put together a before and IN-PROGRESS photo collage of myself. I HOPE this works!!

Please be gentle. This isn't the MOST recent pic, but I'm only truly 2 lbs lower than the pic I put up!

My BEFORE and February 2012 In-Progress Pics

I apologize for all those people I blind. Hehehe More to come as I shrink more!

Here comes another! This is my "Look! I lost 100 lbs! " Picture and in clothes that actually fit! Though, truthfully they are now a bit loose. @_@ And I'm in actual nice clothes vs. my "weigh-in clothes"

** UPDATE **

I've also added my 110 lbs progress pic AND my most current pic of my 125 lbs progress pic! ALMOST THERE! SO CLOSE I CAN SMELL IT! I've lost over 50% of my body weight overall and I am in SINGLE DIGITS BABY!! WOO!

** UPDATE AGAIN ** 07/21/12

More pics are up! Last two links! This is me as I am now and only less than 2 lbs away from my ultimate goal of 115 lbs! 130 lbs 73.5" lost, baby!

** UPDATE YET AGAIN ** 8/25/12

New Pic UP! Back to less than 2 lbs away from my ultimate goal of 115!! 130.2 lbs 75" lost, WOO BABY!

The Best Answer

SOOOOooooo wonderful to see these, Akane!! You've done an amazing job and it's been so fun to watch you all along the way!!!!!!!!! (And going forward too!!!)

To newbies or others (since I know this will be posted for a long time to come!): Akane and I have been doing SCD about the same length of time. I started May 15 2011. She has a little more than TWICE the amount of weight off that I do, but I wanted to point out that even if one does not go as fast as Akane does, it is SO achievable!! Akane has stuck to the program to the letter, as have I, and I would not want anyone to be discouraged if their weight is not coming off as quickly as Akane's has. I'm THRILLED for her and at the same time, I'm very happy with my rate of loss also. There are a lot of factors involved in why folks might lose at different rates.

(In our case, I'm older than she, I have medical problems and am on a ton of meds, I'm messing with menopause, I have not exercised at all, and I don't do any damage control on cheat days. Still, I have an average rate of 1.45 lbs lost per week and I'm ecstatic about that!)

Akane and I feel the same way about SCD -- it's not a "diet" -- it's "how we eat"!!

HUGE CONGRATS TO YOU, AKANE, AND THANKS FOR BEING SUCH AN INSPIRATION TO SO MANY!!!!

WHEE! Thanks a ton, Gretchen!! You're doing awesome as well! do not discount your awesomeness! But, yes, you have a lot more to deal with with than I do. And for that your progress is as good as mine is!! Keep on going! It may take a little longer for you, BUT I know you can do it!! I suspect my progress will start to slow as I am nearing the 100lb mark AND also the "under 30lbs" to lose mark. We'll see how my "rate of loss" goes down in the coming months. I am just hoping to get it all lost by summer. More ideally....by my birthday in May. Praying? Yes! Hoping? Definitely!

Akane I am so excited by your progress you look amazing I'm starting at 228.7 which is close to your starting weight I'm on day. One I'm an uber newbie so to see you come so far and reach your goal is like yea I can do this too. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.

Heehee thanks! *BLUSH* Yeah, considering that almost 100lbs has dropped off my shorty short bod. I'd say so. And not done yet!! I'll basically be losing a whole person when I am done. 132 lb person to be exact!

Wooooooooooow! Incredible! You are on fire! Amazing! You have to be proud of you. I am happy that you share this with us. I am convinced this will help a lot of us in difficult moments to stay on track like you did it. And the wonderful thing is that you will continue with this!

Thank you for all the help! You are really an inspiration to the 4HB crowd!!!

Of course, outstanding, out of this world results- You have melted away nearly half of your body

I am SO proud of you ! I bet you will agree that you have achieved more than you or anyone else thought, and you're right- you look 20 years younger.

Obviously you still have about 40lbs left- but you are now well over halfway- and you really do look like a different person.

I don't even have to tell you to keep the awesome work up- you have already made the plan a new way of eating for yourself, so you ARE going to get to your ultimate goals, and stay at them forever! I'll be rooting for you every step of the rest of your journey , of course.

Concerning loose skin, I don't see any problems just yet- I can just about see some on your arms, and obviously the stomach skin might be covered up -don't worry about it though- getting to the goals are more important.

You must be able to walk down the street holding your head up high with confidence now- flaunt it, you deserve it! I can't wait to see more progress pictures as you get closer to your goals- your body is just gonna keep looking better and better every day.

Yeah, fortunately I can cover most cept perhaps the arms....but at least those are not looking too bad. It's just a bad "side effect" of losing weight quickly enough...and just being older. Suffice to say, I will not be "torturing" people by wearing a bikini....JUST YET. That'll be an achievement for another year. Thanks for the encouragement!! I totally value your support!

Thanks Crystal I am proof that is CAN be done and I am a TOTAL lazy procrastinating gal. It's just I finally found something I can follow easily(for me) and it gives me regular results with minimal effort. Especially that Cheat Day....yeah if that wasn't there I would have probably not lasted as long as I did. It's definitely a Godsend! Keep the faith....it is possible to reach your weight loss goals and re-invent yourself!

You are looking great! I was shocked when I read your age in the picture, because I have only seen your picture in your actual weight I though you had like 25 years or less xD when I read you had 42 I was like WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!????? keep it up

Thanks for posting those pics. Your bravery and commitment are truly inspiring to those of us who are just starting out on this journey and gives me the hope that I can do it to. You should feel proud and excited to show off that new bod -- you deserve it!

Thanks Puck! Yeah, you'd think "WOW a year! That's so long!" But, ya know it went by pretty quickly! I think that SCD has just been such a part of my new lifestyle, I don't think about it so much anymore. It's so natural. It's "what I do".

Thanks, LizzieBee! ALMOST half of me is gone. Hopefully when it is all said and done I'll have lost 53% of my body weight! I still cannot fathom it...but hey, I'm approaching my 100lb lost mark. Which means...only 32 to go!

I know that you don't know who I am but I want to say "Thank You" for posting your results. You are really an inspiration for all of us attempting the SCD! I love your determined attitude and your desire to encourage others in their quest for weight loss. I wish you continued success and hope that you never lose the drive to help youself and others! Thank You

You look amazing already! I don't know of anyone on this site more consistent and committed to following the SCD principles as you are, and it certainly shows in your results. You've been an inspiration to me and many others, and I thank you for sharing your pics as yet more of an inspirational boost. Well done!

Thanks LondonLady! ^ _^ I really hope others who are just starting will be inspired enough and determined enough to reach their weight loss/health goals and that it is never too late nor impossible to do it.

I just wanted to thank you so much for sharing your incredible transformation with the world. It's been a real honor to witness your progress all of these months and I'm so proud of you and truly amazed & inspired by your perserverance and strength. You deserve to be on the cover of the next edition of the 4 Hour Body, as you are living proof that people are capable superhuman feats of greatness, given the right attitude, resolve, and dedication, and from Day One you took the bull by the horns and never looked back. Thank you for being an incredible inspiration to all of us and congratulations to the new you!!!

OMG Makes me so happy, Laura that you replied! Thanks to you for the encouragement. A lot of your pics just inspired and motivate me to possible ONE DAY to get where you are(at least once my skin finally snaps back, IF it does @_@) Anyway, that's something to worry about for a later time. For now, I continue on with my journey and battle of the bulge! Thank you so much for this forum it has helped me SO MUCH in "getting SCD right".

Hi Erica!! Keep it going!!! You can do it!! What are you eating exactly? Are you drinking enough water? Getting enough protein/calories? Are you exercising? Let me know maybe we can bump up that progress of yours! You should expect to lose about 1-3 lbs per week after the first two weeks. Sometimes you may not lose anything at all or gain due to the monthly visitor, but otherwise you should lose regularly. I got here because of discipline, patience and determination. You can too!

You see you can have a bad day where everything is going wrong and you feel tired, depressed and despondent and then you can click on "RE: Not exactly a TRUE Before/After! But IN-PROGRESS YES! " and know that life is truly great.

Im a recent member. Congrats to you! Really! I chose you to ask my followng questions to because of your success, I hope that is ok? Here's a little background...

I fear that I should be counting calories. I just dropped 20lpds by way of restricting calories and doing a ton of exercise.With that, Ive actually increased my calorie count upon starting this diet Although, .It's only been a week including cheat day, which was yesterday,I fear that I' m gaining weight and going in the wrong direction. Ive worked so hard trying to get close to my dream body.

Did you experience fear when you first set out on this diet. especially after cheat day? Have you stayed diligent to the principles governing this diet ie eat as much of "these" food groups as you want? Did your weight drop every week? Did you see your body change every day, sometimes for the negative, hanging flesh? ( my body seems less tight some days verses other days which triggers fear)

Ok, first, how much do you want to lose? How tall are you? How old are you? All those factors including your activity level will contribute to the overall amount of food you should be eating AND still lose weight.

The first few weeks it will seem you are stuffing yourself, but try to NOT get much lower than say 1200 calories a day(more like 1500-1600 if you workout heavily, like more than an hour a day and intensely)

There is nothing to be afraid of, Merritt, the Slow Carbing lifestyle WORKS....and I am one of the BIGGER advocaters of this lifestyle on this site.

This site has helped me immensely, and I have done my best to "pay it forward" and help others who are just starting to succeed as well in their health/weight loss goals That being said, it is a lot of trial and error. Mostly you want to keep some principles in mind: 1) Eat until you are full using the rules of 30g of protein for breakfast then AT LEAST 20g of protein(more like 30-35g) for lunch and dinner. Also, keep the ratio of protein-veggie-legumes to a 40-40-20 type ratio. If you feel you are craving, increase your protein a bit. Legumes (as they are still a carb) should not be larger than veggies or the protein, BUT they SHOULD be part of at least your breakfast and lunch meals. You can omit them for dinner if you wish.

No, I did not experience fear, but DETERMINATION to succeed and give this lifestyle a serious go for at least the 6 weeks. I found I liked this way of eating and stuck to it. 13 months later, here I am....120 lbs lighter and 70.5" smaller and just under 20% bodyfat. Yep, it works, but you really have to be strict! Yes, I have stayed dilligent to the point of being "scary" about it. I actually did plan out my meals and portions at first and increased/decreased as needed. Once you get the hang of portions and what your body needs as far as protein/veggies/legumes you don't really have to count calories/measure portions. THOUGH, I do still measure out my proteins sometimes( have a food scale) and my salad dressings.

As far as SCD, my weight DID drop consistently with little exercise from April 2011-July 2011 where it went up slightly (.2 lbs only though). Then it only went up again in December 2011. Recently I've had some weeks where I have either not lost or gained a little, but mostly due to hormonal issues more than anything I was doing diet/exercise wise. So, stick to it and you can lose weight consistently besides the hormonal weeks of the month. yes, I saw changes everyday and sadly I do have the "hanging flesh" it's a constant reminder of how big I was, but I know eventually it will tighten up enough that it doesn't become a problem. It's something you just have to learn to live with and hopefully with time it will get better. I hope I helped you.

Feel free to ask me any other questions you have....I'm almost to my goal of 115 lbs (down from 247 lbs) and I'm really excited to start maintenance and start on my next leg of my new life and new journey! Good Luck to you!

Akane...I can't see your new photo but AWESOME job girl!!!! So proud of you! I would love to just interview you as all these questions come popping into my head but I'll only ask one question....other than the obvious, what is the biggest change?

Biggest change is the ability to go into ANY clothing store and pick out clothing that actually looks great on me. Also, another...is just having people call me "Tiny" and "Skinny" It just hasn't registered in my brain yet...ya know? I've been carrying around this weight for over 20 years....it'll take some getting used to.

Thanks, Carmen! No gimmicks! No drugs! Just following Slow Carb strictly, drinking my water, getting in my 30g of protein in the morning, doing moderate exercise. And it comes off. Not like super super fast, but regularly and that is what counts!

OH definitely! Once you get your metabolism going, it just keeps on going and going and going...don't give up. Everybody is different. What works for me may take longer to work for you or make take you a bit of tweaking to get it to that right balance. Keep it up!! Keep experimenting!